Actress Alyssa Milano created the “me too” Facebook status trend that has gone viral, including as a Twitter hashtag, to show the scope of sexual abuse and harassment in the United States in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein allegations.
Countless women and men around the country have joined in posting “me too,” demonstrating the widespread nature of an often silenced problem. Some celebrities also added their voices, posting “me too.” A cacophony of voices from every corner of the country – from women and men from all walks of life – joined them. Some of them simply wrote “Me too.” Others shared deeply moving accounts of assault and harassment in powerful detail. You can read some of them below.
This is the post from Milano that started it all:
If you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted write ‘me too’ as a reply to this tweet.
Lady Gaga followed suit.
Debra Messing posted “me too,” as did Amy Suskind and author S.E. Hinton.
Me too. But I am trying so hard to only post positive tweets these days. For the sake of my sanity. t.co/UkotRz09TL
Here are some of the powerful comments that people are writing on Twitter using the hashtag and phrase.
“2 weeks into college, a male friend insisted on walking me home. Instead of my room, he took me to his. No one intervened that night #MeToo.”
“I was just 8 yrs old. I am not sure I know a woman who has not been assaulted or raped, groped, molested, harassed, or threatened. #MeToo.”
“I was sexually abused by a man I call Dad. When I told Mom, she said, “I know you believe it’s true.” I never brought it up again. #MeToo.”
“My rapist went free because I fought back and injured him. I was “lucky” he didn’t press charges. #MeToo.”
“#MeToo a writer/an actor/two producers. If you believe that it happened to me = good. Better = help ensure it doesn’t happen to anyone else.”
“#MeToo When I served in the military. More than a few times. I stayed silent for self preservation. I regret it daily.”
“Business suits, pearls, and multiple advanced degrees didn’t protect me from him. #MeToo.”
“I have typed & deleted this more times than I can count. I learned about evil before any person should. I am heartbroken at how the cycle continues & to see how many others have suffered because of it. ? #MeToo #WomenWhoRoar.”
“I was in 8th grade English and a boy wouldn’t stop creeping his hand up my leg. When I tried to speak out and tell him to stop, I was told to sit down and be quiet. Eventually, the teacher ended up moving ME, saying I was a distraction to the boy. #MeToo.”
“I was 7 yrs old Mom was droppin me off at school, walkin behind her Sixth graders were by gate, 1 grabbed my ? I froze Never told Mom #MeToo.”
“Take your pick: *First boyfriend – 14 *Stranger at a party-16 (the scariest by far) *Stranger at a bar – 22 *Partner at accounting firm – 27 *Guy at the gym – 35 All r stories of assault or harassment spanning 21 yrs of my life. Last 2 I reported! #MeToo.”
“I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve been assaulted/raped. I’ve blocked it, or was too young to remember it all. #metoo.”
“It was a long time ago, but it took a long time to process and certainly affected the young adult I was. #MeToo.”
“#MeToo. For a while I couldn’t stand people standing behind me after my assault. I felt like I had to look behind me. Sometimes I still do?.”
“#MeToo by strangers @ a movie theatre and a university bathroom, 2 pervs, 1 looking for underage girls that followed me into the theatre.”
“I was 12 bioperv GRANDFATHER – mother’s father & she doesn’t believe me to this day & keeps his pic in the LR.”
“#MeToo Pushed up against the wall right outside my apartment by a drunk guy and violently groped.”
“I was abused by my fiancé 5 years ago and told no one until my mom found out. It happened 5 years ago and I’m still healing #metoo.”
“The 1st time my ex husband raped me I thought I deserved it. Never pressed charges. No one thinks it’s rape when you’re married. #MeToo.”
“Multiple home invasions in college- my place, my friend’s. People roofied. Peeping toms. Rapists that didn’t get caught for years 9/ #MeToo.”
“#MeToo he’s dead now, but I only know that because I’d visit his Wikipedia page regularly to add ‘scumbag’ to his description.”
“#metoo I was young and it was with my BF at the time. It was something I was not comfortable doing but did just to make him happy.”
“I was 10. Sent 2 my step grandfather’s house w my siblings 4 summer. Was forced to do stuff kids shouldn’t 4 many yrs. I was a kid. #MeToo.”
“#MeToo 1. At fifteen, raped/made pregnant. At twenty-one, bashed and raped. Both my sister’s ex-boyfriends. She had told them I was ‘easy.'”
“Hey ladies, this is not just a MAN-TO-WOMAN issue. #MeToo, and it came at the hands of 2 men and 2 WOMEN! But you probably don’t believe me!”
“ppl saw him put hands in my shorts @ work party. heard me yell no & help. did nothing. my boss knows. still have to work w/him #MeToo.”
“@ a bar a guy reached down my shirt n grabbed my right breast. his friend said ‘if u didnt want that 2 happen whyd u wear that shirt’ #MeToo”
“#MeToo: because it took almost 10 years for me to realize what happened to me was assault, and get answers over why I have intimacy issues.”
“#MeToo I was only in 4th grade. The boy next door. He got me naked. It was awful. I felt so guilty.”
“I’m the product of a rape, most of my family doesn’t even know I exist #metoo for my beautiful mother, I understand and I love u.”
Read more about the “me too” Facebook status here: